1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Printers for issuing receipts are widely used in various applications including cash registers, Automated Teller Machines (ATM), and Cash Dispensers (CD), for example. Such printers are configured to issue a receipt by conveying thermal recording paper that is wound into a roll, printing objects such as characters on the recording paper using a print head, and conveying the recording paper up to a predetermined length so that the recording paper may be cut at the predetermined length by a cutter (See, e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-19845, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-130842).
It is noted that some printers include a stationary blade and a movable blade as the cutter so that the recording paper may be cut by moving the movable blade. Other printers only have a stationary blade so that the recording paper is cut manually by pulling the recording paper.
In the case where the cutter only includes a stationary blade so that the recording paper is cut manually, the cutter may be a simple member made of the stationary blade and no mechanical parts or motor for moving a movable blade is necessary. Thus, such a cutter may be suitable for a small printer apparatus.
In the following, an exemplary printer apparatus that is configured to have recording paper pulled and cut manually with a stationary blade is described with reference to FIGS. 1A-1C. The printer apparatus includes recording paper 910 that is wound into a roll, a thermal head 920 and a stationary blade 930 that are attached to a mainframe 911, and a platen roller 921 that is attached to a cover 912 that may be opened and closed to enable loading or removal of the roll of recording paper 910. The thermal head 920 prints objects such as characters on the recording paper 910 when it passes between the thermal head 920 and the platen roller 921, and the platen roller 921 discharges the recording paper 910, which has objects printed thereon, by rotating in a paper discharging direction. The recording paper 910 having the objects printed thereon that is discharged by the platen roller 921 may then be cut by the stationary blade 930 when the recording paper 910 is pulled in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 1A
When using the illustrated printer apparatus, however, the recording paper 910 may be pulled in the wrong direction such as the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 1B instead of the direction of arrow A. In such a case, as is shown in FIG. 1C, the force pulling the recording paper 910 may be applied to the platen roller 921 to thereby cause the cover 912 to open. When the cover 912 is opened in this manner, the recording paper 910 loaded in the printer apparatus may fall out.